One of the seven guiding principles of cooperatives is democratic member control. We are governed by a nine-member board of directors, and each is elected to serve a three-year term. Directors are elected by and represent those who live in their district, and they make critical decisions on behalf of all co-op members.
Three board seats are up for election next year. If you are a co-op electric and/or fiber customer interested in serving, a candidate application packet will be made available online from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31. Fill out the required forms, secure 30 or more valid co-op customer signatures, and gather the required documentation. Your completed packet must be returned to our Cassopolis office by 5:00 p.m. EST on Dec. 31 to be vetted. Please note: To ensure all necessary supporting documentation is submitted, we recommend turning in your candidate application and customer signatures in advance of the final due date.
If you meet all director qualifications outlined at teammidwest.com/director-requirements, you will be placed on the ballot for one of the three terms for July 2027–2030. Ballots will be emailed to the district members on or around April 19, 2027, and must be submitted by May 14. Board members must reside in the district they represent. Please note that exact dates are subject to change.
Seats in Districts 3, 4, and 8 will be up for election. Please note: Anyone running for our board of directors in the current elections must collect signatures of support from fellow MEC electric and/or fiber customers in their district. That means that you may be visited at your home or business by someone seeking signatures. You are not required to sign their petition unless you support their effort to join our board.
District 3 is currently represented by Ron Armstrong of Lawton, District 4 by Clarence “Topper” Barth of Three Rivers, and District 8 by Erika Escue-Cadieux of Onsted. All three current directors plan to run for re-election.
Visit teammidwest.com/district-maps to find your district and director.
For more information about serving on the board of directors, please call the cooperative at 800-492-5989 or send an email to board.inquiries@teammidwest.com.
VOTE FOR YOUR DIRECTOR ELECTRONICALLY
You will receive your ballot via email on or around April 19, 2027. The email will come from the MEC election coordinator and will include instructions on the voting process. Please verify that we have the correct email address on file by logging into SmartHub and going to Menu > Settings > Contact Methods. You can also call us at 800-492-5989. Please verify your information by March 1.
In the meantime, please add noreply@directvote.net as an approved sender in your email account. Since every email provider is unique, we recommend that you refer to the support section of your email account for instructions on how to do this.
